Penguins, Part 2

Cape Town, South Africa 72f cloudy with sun

Cape Town is the last stop in South Africa (SA). With a population of over 400,000 in the town and 4+ million in the metro area, Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa. There is not one legally defined capital in SA but the 3 governmental branches each have a capital city. Cape Town is the legislative or parliament capital, Pretoria is the administrative capital and home to the President and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

There are 12 official languages in SA and the top 3 in use are Zulu and Xhosa, both indigenous tribal languages followed by Afrikaans spoken by the white SA population and derived from the early Dutch influence. Interestingly, Government and official business is conducted in English. The population of the country is about 80% Black South Africans, with the remainder Colored (multiracial), White, and Indian or Chinese.

Even though SA is considered the most industrialized and technologically advanced country in Africa with enormous natural resources, stats from 2021 put 40% of the population unemployed and 60% living below the poverty line, defined as living with less than $2.15 / day. Their history of Apartheid, ended in 1994, has certainly left a lasting effect on the country.  Political corruption is to blame for the mismanagement of projects and funds leading to unreliable water service and the intermittent electrical blackouts or ‘load shedding’, to prevent grid overload and failure.  Many issues have projects identified but bringing them to completion seems difficult to impossible. 

Cape Town is in the southernmost county in SA with a 12000km coastline that follows the Atlantic Ocean on the west side and the warmer Indian Ocean along the east. Where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean currents collide has provided unpredictable or rough seas with a history of plenty of shipwrecks as well. Ports at Cape Town and Port Elizabeth provide busy ship repair facilities.   Interestingly, for about 16 hours both approaching and departing Cape Town, we were enveloped in a consistent and extremely thick fog. One could tell night from day, but visibility was extremely limited. The ship's foghorn was sounding the entire time. This was during the day:

Human occupation in Cape Town has been dated back to 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.  The Portuguese were the first Europeans to view the area and through the late 1600’s Europeans would stop in the area to replenish provisions with assorted tribes or clans.  In 1652 a waystation was established in the area for use of ships sailing to the Dutch East Indies.  The Dutch introduced a wide variety of agricultural plants including grapes, potatoes, corn, sugar cane etc.  The Dutch and British were both interested in South Africa with a number of battles or wars and handing SA back and forth between the 2.  Eventually SA became a British colony obtaining independence in 1913 and has not lost the influence of the Dutch colonial era. 

During the government configuration after independence, apartheid was adopted, and Cape Town was designated as a ‘Coloured preferred employment area’ specifically meant to exclude Blacks from the city.  One problem was that the city needed more workers as there weren’t enough coloured workers to fill the jobs.  A system had to be devised in which the blacks were allowed to enter the city during the day to work but, they could not stay in the city and had to live outside city limits.  Transportation of people in and out of the city became time consuming and this situation helped lead to the establishments of townships or types of races living in the same area.  Still the logistics of ferrying workers in and out of the city to various places was quite the imposition. 

An area closer to the city limits of Cape Town was created as a housing area for black workers.  The buildings were plain and sparse, and all were painted white.  The area, known as Bo-Kaap exists today as a residential / artist area standing for perseverance and freedom.  The houses have been improved with decorations, porches etc. and not one house is painted white.  The Bo-Kaap area is larger than I expected, at least a 6 block by 6 block area.  There is even a neighborhood mosque that was built during that time. This area, built on the outskirts of a growing Cape Town now exists close to the downtown area, very easy to visit in a city tour.

The day we landed was a holiday, so the traffic downtown was minimal.  We quickly saw some of the government buildings, library, convention hall because the main focus for today was the peninsula surrounding Cape Town.  Perhaps another visit will allow time to take a boat to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.

First, we had to take care of business and that meant a stop at a well-known vineyard for a quick taste/purchase.  I was going to mail the wine back to Kristin until I found out the postage was 3 times the cost of the wine.   Now I have to figure out how to pack the bottles in the luggage.  I’m betting since no one knows the number of bottles I purchased, whatever number I arrive with, will be fine. Right? I’ve already had a few offers to help me solve the problem! 

Then the plan was to stop at Boulders Beach and continue down the peninsula to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope on the Indian Ocean side and then return along the Atlantic Ocean side with a final stop in Table Rock National Park for a city view.

Starting out to Boulders Beach we drove through several towns such as Fish Hoek and Nord Hoek that have maintained their Dutch influenced architecture in pretty seaside settings.  These were small vacation towns in which a lot of foreigners have purchased homes and use for vacation rentals when they are not present.  My guide, Sam, indicated that local inhabitants of this area could not afford the cost of housing. 

Along the way we also went through Simons Town named after Simon van der Stelh, an early governor of the area.   He was Dutch and instrumental in settling the area and bringing agriculture to the area.  He is considered to be the first person bringing grape vines to South Africa.  I think the proximity beside the ocean made it difficult to grow grapes successfully and the vineyards all moved north or inland from the coast. 

We stopped to look back at Fish Hoek which is on False Bay with a very long and flat beach.  Sam indicated that during summer this beach is filled all along the sand with people.  There were changing rooms and concession stands and being on the Indian Ocean, the water is warm.  Multiple times he indicated the beaches on the Atlantic side were way too cold for swimming.

the beach is flat, wide and really long- imagine this whole stretch filled with people on a hot day.

The interest in Boulders Beach is a colony of African Penguins.   Unlike Port Elizabeth where the penguin colonies live on islands only accessible by boat, the Boulders Beach penguins lived on the mainland in a protected area with a nice boardwalk to view them in their natural habitat.

It was nesting season with a mix of chicks large and small and nests in progress.  About three feet in the bushes from the boardwalk was a penguin sitting on the nest.  The very small dark area under the adult penguin’s chest is a chick. 

Walk a little further and the boardwalk ended on the beach.  There are larger chicks, in the middle, still in their downy stage. Multiple nests that appear to be made of sticks or even just scooped out of the sand. How the penguin in the front middle is going to get out of the hole they fell into - would be interesting to see.

Penguins form a bonded pair for life. One will be out feeding/fishing while the other one stays on land at the nest. When they reunite, time is spent preening each other as a greeting.

Boulder Beach is aptly named and provides multiple sunning opportunities. There was a lot of seaweed or kelp around this coast (the black things bobbing in the water).

We then continued on the way to the Cape of Good Hope.   I think it was finally named Good Hope as sailors always hoped they would sail around the point of Arica without experiencing any difficulties.  We were still going down the Indian Ocean side and the scenery was quite lovely.  Very mountainous and lots of green bushes and very few trees.  During the spring, the area is supposed to be covered with many types of wildflowers.

We arrived at the Cape and things were starting to change.  The sea or waves were much more active, and the geography was turning browner and sparser.  We stopped at the obligatory sign marking we really arrived.  The coastline was rocky and windy.  

 Who (besides me) thought the Cape of Good Hope was the southernmost point and was the point at which the currents of the Atlantic and Indian ocean met? It appears to be a common misconception, if you thought the same. That is why the sign for Cape of Good Hope says the most southwestern point of Africa. Details, details.

Cape Agulhas about 90 mi south-southeast of Good Hope is the southernmost point of Africa and where the currents meet although, the meeting point is rather fluid between Agulhas and Cape Point which is a mile or so from Good Hope. We will go there next.

This is the highest point of the Cape of Good Hope with a well camouflaged hiking trail to the top if you want.

 I know this picture isn’t the best but there are a number of sea birds and some seals on the rock with the white droppings.

On to Cape Point and another sign just to prove I was there.   The coast was stunning and the road – well, all the roads where winding.  In SA guardrails alongside the road – especially the over the cliff side of the road were practically nonexistent.  There were turns in the road that had no space for a pull off.   Just an abrupt end of pavement, the road was about 8” above the ground, then maybe a foot of dirt before the edge of the mountain was gone.   I’m probably not saying it clearly except if you run off the side of the road, you are going over the side of the mountain with nothing to try to help you stop.  No one was amazed about this, except me.

The lighthouse at the top is no longer functioning. Its position has 2 problems. With low cloud levels, the light could not be seen. Ships rounding the point from the east would see the light too early, causing the ships to approach the shore to close. In 1911 the Lusitania

wrecked just south of Cape Point for this reason, which caused the light house to be relocated to a different position and much lower to be seen in the fog.

At Cape Point, there was a line of about 10 Cobras in the parking lot.   At first, I thought maybe a car club out for drive, but Sam indicated that these cars were for rent.  You could pay to drive them on the roads in the park or pay the owner to drive you.  I simply found it odd that there would be a line of these cars parked on the side of the road, for rent, in Africa.  While I think it could be a fun ride on those roads, I would have to be going the other direction.  They drive on the left in SA and as we were traveling north, that put me next to the side of the drop off without guard rails.  

By this time, it was early afternoon, and I did the usual – let’s go to a local restaurant that you would take visitors to eat.  Sam selected a family farm stand in the interior of the peninsula.  In SA some farms will create more of an experience on their land in addition to whatever they are farming.  His selection was a winery that added a small restaurant overlooking the vineyards and mountains.  It has grown to be more of a family outing with green play spaces, a petting zoo, horse trails, coffee shop/café and gift shop / farm store.  All nicely done and was very busy with families since school was out. While we had fish and chips (not so African) the fish was freshly caught hake and pretty tasty.

This is the view over the back of the restaurant showing a horse ride returning through the vineyard. The kids were kicking a soccer ball around in the grass.

After lunch we continued up the peninsula returning to Cape Town via Table Mountain.  Enjoyed the spectacular scenery.   We did stop at an overlook to a beach that was wide, flat, and a nice white sand beach.  While it looked very lovely again Sam said – too cold, hardly anyone comes here unless the surf is really good.

Further up the road is a great way to see how rougher the Atlantic side is compared to the Indian Ocean.  Quite a bite of foam created from the crashing waves on the rocks.

Finally, we reached Table Mountain which is a tall and flat mountain top – like the top of a table.  People stop there for the overlook to Cape Town below.  There is also a famous cable car that will take you to the very top of the mountain or there is a hiking trail available if you prefer.   Pretty much the car goes straight up from the visitor center to the top.  While there appeared to be quite the line to get on this ride, I was not enamored with the idea.  The car was pretty big, filled with people and Sam made the mistake of saying that it rotates as it travels and not all the windows have glass.  That sealed the deal and we wound our way back to the ship.

For the animal news, I also saw wild Baboons – some in the town of Fish Hoek, sitting on a wall by the road and some in the Cape of Good Hope National Park.  On the Atlantic side where the foliage was a little sparser, there were wild ostrich.  At Boulders Bay, a hyrax or Dassie – a brown furry mammal , 12 – 28” long, wt 4-11lbs,  similar to a marmot but actually closer related to elephants – go figure.  They are herbivores and do not bother the penguins. Sorry – pictures weren’t an option as either we or the animals were moving too fast.

I think Africa is again like the US.  You can’t see everything in one trip.  Each area is quite unique.

Quick update on the cruise:

-I have 2 more posts to go, Walvis Bay, Namibia and the island of Cape Verde.

-I have opted to disembark from the ship May 15 at Las Palmas in the Grand Canary Islands.

-I will spend several days here and hope to stop walking side to side on land.

-May 18, I fly to Venice

-May 21, I will fly back to NJ

It is somewhat amazing that the 5 months are almost up. 

usale kahle !!